KBW Hires Krueger from Dowling for Life Insurer Research

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Inc., the
boutique investment bank purchased by Stifel Financial Corp. (SF),
hired Ryan Krueger as a managing director of equity research to
oversee coverage of U.S. life insurers.

Krueger, 29, joins from Dowling & Partners, where he
researched the life industry, New York-based KBW said today in a
statement. He’ll start April 14 and be based in Hartford,
Connecticut. Krueger replaces Jeffrey Schuman, who covered
insurers including MetLife Inc., Prudential Financial Inc., and
Aflac Inc.

Stifel has been shifting staff since it agreed to buy KBW
in a deal that was completed last year. In September,
Reinsurance Group of America Inc. hired Jeff Hopson from St.
Louis, Missouri-based Stifel to oversee investor relations.
Nomura Holdings Inc. hired Cliff Gallant from KBW in February
2013 to cover firms including Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

“Ryan comes back to KBW as one of the most respected life
insurance analysts,” Fred Cannon, KBW’s director of research,
said in the statement. “His hire highlights our commitment to
providing high quality research to our clients.”

Krueger began his career at KBW in 2006, and became lead
analyst on small-cap life insurers, according to today’s
statement. He has an undergraduate degree in finance from the
University of Connecticut and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.

Schuman said on his LinkedIn page that he’s seeking
opportunities in fields such as investing, finance and mergers
and acquisitions. He didn’t immediately return an e-mail seeking
comment. Dowling doesn’t respond to media calls, a person
answering the phone at the company said today.